


Cutting the Knot

by 26stars



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-30
Updated: 2015-03-30
Packaged: 2018-03-20 10:27:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3646893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/26stars/pseuds/26stars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Skye finds her own way to fix the problem, May isn't prepared for her own reaction.</p><p>May's perspective on the events in s02e12</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cutting the Knot

When May hears the forcefield in the wall short and she spins to make sure that it hasn’t yet shattered, the world goes blank for a brief second except for the single question:

_How do you fix this problem?_

“Remember: focus!” she tells Skye firmly. Tells herself.

Time seems to freeze as Sif’s sword appears, plunging through the pixelated wall and rending it just enough for the warrior’s determined gaze to meet May’s through the barrier-

Skye’s voice trembles behind her. “I can’t!” It’s a whisper and a whimper and a scream and an apology.

The forcefield disappears and May’s stance sets on the trembling ground to face a sword with only her fists when May feels Skye snatch her gun from its hip holster.

She turns with nothing but the unanswered question in her mind, mouth opening to warn Skye that Sif is not her concern, that she just needs to focus on calming down-

But Skye’s eyes are certain as she puts the gun to her own chest and pulls the trigger.

A pop, a puff of blue smoke, and Skye falls like a tree.

The floor immediately stops shaking but May’s world tilts.

“Skye.”

She loses track of her opponent. She’ll punish herself for that later. She hears Coulson racing down the stairs, but she’s only scrambling, clinging, reaching with her back to all of them-

“She harmed herself.” Sif’s tone is almost disbelieving.

May’s fingertips are against Skye’s neck, searching for that reassuring tempo to tell her that _it’s just an ICER_ , that the worst has not happened, that _she is fine_ …

“…To save the rest of you.”

_When I couldn’t protect her._

May hears Coulson talking, hears the situation resolving, the agreement being made, and soon enough Lady Sif is striding back upstairs to deal with her alien prisoner.

May pushes back off the bed, pulls her hands away from Skye and balls them into fists at her sides. She breathes in slowly.

_Meet it. Meet the fear. Meet the panic. Meet the guilt. Hold your arms out and let it all in. Now bind it. Compact it. Save it._

_Save it til you can make it work for you._

Coulson is behind her. He knows better than to touch her.

“May. She’ll be fine.”

The fog is clearing. She opens her eyes and turns to face Coulson.

“We don’t know that.”

Coulson looks past her, at Skye. “Of course we don’t. But when have we ever wasted time dwelling on that?”

May turns back to the girl.

_If we allowed that question, we couldn’t have come this far already._

Coulson gives her a beat of silence before his next question.

“We need to escort Lady Sif and the Kree out of the base. Should we leave Skye down here?”

“Course not.” May reaches for Skye’s arm.

“You want help?”

“Not this time.”

Skye is dead weight but not much of it. May swings her onto her own shoulders in a fireman’s hold, one hand tight around the girl’s forearm, the other wrapped around her thigh. Her steps are steady as she straightens and moves toward the stairs. She allows Coulson to catch her eye, allows the understanding to pass between them.

_Let me do what I couldn’t do last time. What I don’t deserve to do this time._

Coulson nods once, solemnly, and falls into step behind her as she climbs the stairs, matching her steps with the reassuring beat she feels surging through all the points of contact between Skye’s body and hers…

_This time, this time, I can bring the girl out alive._

**Author's Note:**

> Oops. Look at that, I wrote this trying to work it into the next chapter of Hearing What She Doesn't Say, but it didn't seem right there. Figured I'd toss it out there before we get too far away from this episode.


End file.
